Using multimodal approach in teaching literacy to Deaf college students

The research studied the perception of Deaf college students on the use of a multimodal approach in teaching literacy to them. The research used a case study design to present five Deaf college students who underwent multimodal intervention sessions. The study primarily used qualitative data, supported by quantitative data from instrument scores. There were 10 intervention lessons that followed a scaffolded reading experience framework. Each lesson utilized all four modalities: linguistic, visual, socio-cultural, and kinesthetic. The intervention sessions were separate from the regular literature classes and lasted four months. Data were taken from pre- and post-intervention interview answers, independent work, and results of the QRI-5. Data were content analyzed by thematic analysis. Quantitative data, such as test scores and activities, were plotted to show individual performance. Findings suggested that comprehension is affected by the type of literature read, students’ prior knowledge, and availability of the modalities. The study showed that even though the Deaf are generally considered visual learners, the participants in the study prefer the integration of the different modalities for them to comprehend better. Recommendations include for teachers of the Deaf to consider tapping different modalities in teaching, as utilizing a multimodal approach brings out the uniqueness of each learner.